Kansas City, MO - Leroy "Satchel" Paige may have been the greatest baseball player who ever lived. He turned his legendary pitching ability and showmanship into a career that allowed him to thrive in a mid-20th Century era of segregation and Jim Crow laws.
Satchel played baseball for numerous teams in his career, including pitching for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues World Series; and playing in the Major Leagues for the Cleveland Indians, the St. Louis Browns, and he was signed to pitch one game in 1965 for the Kansas City Athletics at the age of 59.
In 1950, Satchel Paige bought a very large house at 2626 East 28th Street in Kansas City. It had 23 rooms, a big entry-way, and twin staircases leading upstairs.
Satchel's home served as a refuge for many African-American entertainers - jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Billie Holliday - and athletes like Sugar Ray Robinson, the entire KC Monarchs line-up, and many others who needed a friendly place to stay while they were in Kansas City.
The three-story bungalow sat empty for years before fire broke out in May 2018.
Arson is suspected.
Satchel's house is surrounded by chain-link fencing now. Parts of the roof charred and caved in from the fire.
The house's future is not apparent.
Tom Miller said he had no idea how important his grandfather was until after Satchel's death in 1982 and interview requests began to pour in from around the world along with condolences from major celebrities.
To Miller and his cousins, Satchel was just Grandaddy.
Miller says Satchel's favorite pasttime in retirement was fishing. He recalls that nearly every day they would load fishing poles into his grandfather's gold Cadillac. The car a gift from Satchel's friend, Elvis Presley. They often returned home with the trunk full of the day's catch.
Bob Kendrick said Satchel was a natural businessman, earning large paydays with his barnstorming all-star baseball team.
He often negotiated with ballpark owners for a percentage of gate receipts. Satchel knew who the people were coming to see, says Kendrick.
